Luche Libre En Darkon - Viva El Santo!
Not at all d20 or Ravenloft but the All Flesh Must Be Eaten sourcebook Zombie Smackdown includes game coverage of Mexican Wrestling although probably a more modern take than the Mexican wrestler v horror type films.
Mix in a hint of Zorro could be fun too. Only real danger is that humour might take over from horror pretty quickly. For an interesting twist make some of the landowners a missunderstood force for good and some the wrestler heroes of the people the supernatural forces of evil. They steel the taxes that would have built the new roads, church and school. Then give a little of it to the people but keep most of it for themselves.
Mix in a hint of Zorro could be fun too. Only real danger is that humour might take over from horror pretty quickly. For an interesting twist make some of the landowners a missunderstood force for good and some the wrestler heroes of the people the supernatural forces of evil. They steel the taxes that would have built the new roads, church and school. Then give a little of it to the people but keep most of it for themselves.
That's a neat thought-especially if your heroic wrestler-monk's getting cocky-though ultimately I don't think "funny" and "Ravenloft" are as far apart as some people believe.
The best games are the ones that combine all aspects of life-and people, in real life, are not all serious busniess all the time. They relax, they tell jokes, they have fun. The same should apply to adventurers-if your players are constantly on edge, then your suprises aren't...very suprising, and they're so busy looking for trouble that they might not be taking time to really enjoy the game.
Which isn't to say that, as a DM, is isn't your sworn duty to occasionaly interupt a zany social scene with a sudden werewolf ambush or twisted phrophecy or some kind of adorable bunny that's kept your PCs paranoid for the last three sessions. Because it totally is.
(I did the old bunny trick to my players, once. They totally fell for it. It was hilarious.)
The best games are the ones that combine all aspects of life-and people, in real life, are not all serious busniess all the time. They relax, they tell jokes, they have fun. The same should apply to adventurers-if your players are constantly on edge, then your suprises aren't...very suprising, and they're so busy looking for trouble that they might not be taking time to really enjoy the game.
Which isn't to say that, as a DM, is isn't your sworn duty to occasionaly interupt a zany social scene with a sudden werewolf ambush or twisted phrophecy or some kind of adorable bunny that's kept your PCs paranoid for the last three sessions. Because it totally is.
(I did the old bunny trick to my players, once. They totally fell for it. It was hilarious.)
Don't get me wrong my games are not a constant grind of unremitting horror. One thing that puts me off the 3rd Ed take on Ravenloft was the Gazetteers make every domain seem grim without hope or nice places to contrast the darkness. I've never used a rabbit but I think I've used cats to surprise a group. I once had a party cast pretty much all its defensive spells for the day before going into a library that just had a nest of rats after a critical fail on a listen at doors.
Another thought on a Mexi-horror inspired domain. Perhaps the priesthood of the local religion, probably the Church of Ezra brought to the domain by immigrants from the core, has been corrupted by the lust for gold that drew them to travel across the sea to the inhospitable new land.
The church take a small tithe from the peasants and publicly appear to share in the poverty of the peasants. However with the rise of the terrors they've retreated to a few high walled monasteries where they live in luxury. As the main purveyors of news and moral guidance to the poor they have a lot of influence that they'll sell to the highest bidder. One week the local landowner pays and the cleric launches a tirade against bandits and rebels the next week the local rebel makes a donation and the landowner is pilloried for failing to look after the needs of the poor. The monasteries maintain a public facade of poverty but the cells have been replaced by plush private quarters and feasts of imported delicacies are served on fast days.
Another thought on a Mexi-horror inspired domain. Perhaps the priesthood of the local religion, probably the Church of Ezra brought to the domain by immigrants from the core, has been corrupted by the lust for gold that drew them to travel across the sea to the inhospitable new land.
The church take a small tithe from the peasants and publicly appear to share in the poverty of the peasants. However with the rise of the terrors they've retreated to a few high walled monasteries where they live in luxury. As the main purveyors of news and moral guidance to the poor they have a lot of influence that they'll sell to the highest bidder. One week the local landowner pays and the cleric launches a tirade against bandits and rebels the next week the local rebel makes a donation and the landowner is pilloried for failing to look after the needs of the poor. The monasteries maintain a public facade of poverty but the cells have been replaced by plush private quarters and feasts of imported delicacies are served on fast days.
-
Dr Bloodworth
- Criminal Mastermind
- Posts: 144
- Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2004 9:38 pm
- Location: Lancaster, PA
Knowing fear at the idea of Rey Mysterio, crusader against darkness... 
Seriously, though, I can see NPCs based on old Santo movies and stuff. Bring in some Aztec-tinged stuff and all 'tis good.
But I don't know if I see it in Darkon. For some reason Hazlan seems a better fit... or Nova Vaasa? Or a redone Valachan... I forget if it was this thread or another where a Spanish-like Valachan was mentioned. But I like that. Werepanthers (jaguars?) are very Mesoamerican.
Seriously, though, I can see NPCs based on old Santo movies and stuff. Bring in some Aztec-tinged stuff and all 'tis good.
But I don't know if I see it in Darkon. For some reason Hazlan seems a better fit... or Nova Vaasa? Or a redone Valachan... I forget if it was this thread or another where a Spanish-like Valachan was mentioned. But I like that. Werepanthers (jaguars?) are very Mesoamerican.
Better to betray the world, than for the world to betray me.
-
ewancummins
- Evil Genius
- Posts: 28523
- Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2005 1:35 pm
Another, possibly silly thought, that struck me after watching The Magnificent Seven yesterday - have all the peasants wear spotless white all the time. I know why they were dressed like that in the film but in a Gothic horror setting there is just something a bit unsettling or unnatural about it that could be exploited - especially when a body is found covered in blood but otherwise perfectly clean.